창세기 26:8의 주석

ויהי כי ארכו לו שם, after a while Yitzchok was no longer careful to conduct himself in a manner that the suspicion that Rivkah was his wife could not be aroused. The reason was that he did not think that she would be abducted.

מצחק את רבקה אשתו. making sport with his wife Rebeccah. He indulged in the kind of affectionate behaviour customary between man and his wife. If we are to accept the interpretation of Bereshit Rabbah 64,5 that Avimelech observed Isaac making love to his wife, we must assume that this took place under circumstances when marital intercourse is permitted even during the day, such as for therapeutic purposes (compare Maimonides Hilchot Deyot 40, or the example quoted in Ketuvot 65 about the widow of Abbaye who inadvertently caused Rava to become aroused so that he had to go home in the middle of the day in order to have marital relations with his wife). The righteous endeavour not even to commit the semblance of an unbecoming act.

ויהי...וישקף, compare our commentary on 18,16 on the word וישקיפו.

והנה יצחק מצחק את רבקה אשתו, “and lo, Yitzchok was fondling his wife Rivkah.” Even though, according to Jewish law, marital relations between husband and wife during daylight hours are forbidden, and there is no reason to assume that Yitzchok’s house was in darkness at the time, seeing that Avimelech could see what was going on. One may resolve the problem by saying that when a saintly and learned person such as Yitzchok wraps himself in his Tallit at the time, it is as if he was wrapping himself in darkness, so that he may indulge in marital relations in such conditions. However, this does not answer the question how he could indulge at a time when famine was raging, and we have a long standing rule that in conditions of famine marital relations are to be shunned. Possibly, the fact that he, personally, was not suffering famine, and no other Jew was suffering from famine at that time either, this consideration would suffice to waive the rule not to sleep with his wife during famine.

He thought, “From now on I have no need to worry... The explanation of וישקף is that Yitzchok unconcernedly left open the place where people could look in. Consequently, “Avimelech looked.”

ויהי כי ארכו לו הימים, “it happened that his days were lengthened” seeing that Yitzchok had to abstain from marital relations for an extended period; it had become permissible for him to indulge in such relations even in daytime [to prevent involuntary ejaculation.] (Compare B’reshit Rabbah 64,5);

וישקף אבימלך וגומר AND AVIMELEKH OBSERVED, ET CETERA — He saw him having sexual relations (Genesis Rabbah 64:5).

מצחק, engaging in marital intimacy. The same word was used for intimacy by the wife of Potiphar in Genesis 39,17 when she accused Joseph of trying to rape her. [the author brings this example as in Genesis 21,9 this word could not have had the same meaning. Ed.] Potiphar’s wife elsewhere used to word לשכב עמי, “to sleep with me,” to describe Joseph’s supposed conduct (39,14).

He saw him having marital relations. [Rashi knows this] because otherwise, how did Avimelech know she was his wife? But [Rashi’s proof] is not readily understood, as Avimelech could [have known this by just] seeing an embrace and a kiss. (Re’m) [Another approach:] It seems that Rashi deduced this from the superfluous word אשתו, which implies that Yitzchok was amusing himself in a way pertaining to his wife, i.e., marital relations. [Another approach:] Rashi makes his comment on “Avimelech looked,” not on “Avimelech saw,” so we will not say that Avimelech actually saw him having marital relations. Heaven forbid that a tzaddik like Yitzchok would leave the window open! Rather, Yitzchok closed the window — and that led Avimelech to understand [that she was his wife]. “Avimelech looked” means he observed and understood. And the phrase בעד החלון [does not mean “through” the window. It] means “facing the window,” as this is the general meaning of בעד that appears in Scripture. (Nachalas Yaakov) See there for his proof against Re’m.

וישקף אבימלן בעד החלון, “Avimelech took a look through the window;” according to some commentators the window had not been open but had in fact been securely locked. This fact led Avimelech to conclude that Yitzchok and his wife were engaged in activities that were extremely private. Even when marital intercourse is permitted in daytime, the room in which it takes place must be dark. Yizchak was permitted to engage in marital relations [which are generally prohibited in times of famine] because there was no famine in this country.

וירא, והנה יצחק מצחק את רבקה, “he looked and here he saw that Yitzchok was engaged in intimacies with Rivkah.” This expression for describing intimacies with the opposite sex is found when the wife of Potiphar tells the servants in her husband’s household that this is what the Hebrew slave tried to do to her. (Genesis 39,14). In that verse the next words are: לשכב עמי, “to sleep with me;” from this we are able to deduce that Avimelech did not witness actual intercourse but only foreplay. Yitzchok most certainly would not have engaged in marital relations unless he was sure that no peeping Tom could witness this.